# The Lunar Eclipse has Begun **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 10, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726 "2011-12-10T13:00:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/1 "2011-12-10T13:00:23Z")
It’s 10:00 pm and The Show has started. Awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/2 "2011-12-10T13:04:51Z")
Same here. Except it is 5AM ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/3 "2011-12-10T13:31:08Z")
Bay area of California reporting, drinking espresso and moon-watching. It’s the first good lunar eclipse I’ve ever seen. At 5:30 a.m., there’s a huge chunk taken out of the moon. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/4 "2011-12-10T13:42:04Z")
As a bonus we had a shooting star a bit ago. I just wish it wasn’t so cloudy. Obscures the view a bit. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/5 "2011-12-10T13:47:18Z")
It was slightly cloudy for a bit, but clear skies now. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/6 "2011-12-10T14:34:10Z")
I just watched it from nearly the beginning to complete penumbra; took several dozen photos but I’d be surprised if any comes out borderline decent. I only have a 200mm lens without image stabilization \*Canon EF 70-200 USM) and its a windy night here at Koh Sichang, not far from Bangkok. Besides that, neat, I’ve never seen a full lunar eclipse before; when it began the sky was partially clouded but as its been progressing there’s no clouds any more, excellent visibility. ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/7 "2011-12-10T14:43:36Z")
We watched it to fullness. Well, we’d come back in for a few minutes and then head out. It’s very cold and clear outside here (30 miles southeast of Seattle, WA), but we saw it. It didn’t seem as big or bright as the last lunar eclipse, but it was still pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/8 "2011-12-10T15:00:18Z")
> [@Taters](#): > > It’s very cold [. . .] but it was still pretty cool. So which is it? 😃 Great show, now time to head off to bed. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/9 "2011-12-10T15:14:03Z")
A few minutes ago the Moon started to move out of the shadow, there’s a sliver of light on the bottom right now. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/10 "2011-12-10T15:23:15Z")
Stood on a hill for two hours and froze my nuts off but got a couple of absolutely spectacular shots of the red rabbit. ---
**Author:** ![Hokkaido\_Brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d26b3c/32.png) [@Hokkaido\_Brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hokkaido_Brit)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/11 "2011-12-10T15:32:05Z")
Came home after a night out with friends to a red moon hanging directly above us in a cloudless, star-filled night. Brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/12 "2011-12-10T16:00:59Z")
Saw it about 6PM here. Nice blood-red effect. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/13 "2011-12-10T22:18:12Z")
Not ideal here -sun came up before totality. But I did see it at ~75% at 7:20am local (CST). But it was very clear. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/14 "2011-12-10T23:36:50Z")
We got good views of totality early this morning in Sydney around 1.30am. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/15 "2011-12-11T04:01:34Z")
A couple of pics: [First bite](http://crowaptok.com/images/P1110944.JPG) Panasonic Lumix G2 f/22 1/20 sec 140mm (305mm @ 35mm equiv) [Red Rabbit](http://crowaptok.com/images/P1120106.JPG) f/9 4 sec - the wind was howling so the tripod got a bit blown around. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/16 "2011-12-12T03:31:14Z")
We watched it from atop our 36-story building. We live in a compound of four 36-story buildings, and besides us there was only one (1) other person. But we did see some fireworks going off in different parts of the city in a traditional attempt to keep Rahu from eating the moon. I can tell you they were probably freaked out big time over in Cambodia; this sort of thing spooks them no end. A popular local astrologer warned viewing it could bring bad luck. Story [here](http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2011/article11665.html). Excerpt: **“While lunar eclipses are far easier on the eye than their solar counterparts, a famous Thai astrologer is warning people born on Sunday, Monday or Wednesday nights that viewing the celestial phenomenon could bring them bad luck. The warning, issued on Thai TV Channel 5 by Thai astrologer Mor Chang, says women are particularly at risk.”** I was born on a Tuesday afternoon but on the other side of the world. Would have been shortly before dawn on a Wednesday morning here. Not sure if I’m in danger or not. The wife was born on a Thursday, so she should be safe, but I’m taking out extra life insurance on her just in case. Better safe than sorry! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-eclipse-has-begun/605726/17 "2011-12-13T14:19:16Z")
I uploaded a few pictures of the eclipse. Nothing great though. Here’s [about halfway through](http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff422/AleBKK/2011%20Lunar%20Eclipse/KohSichang-3238-2.jpg), [pretty much all in shadow](http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff422/AleBKK/2011%20Lunar%20Eclipse/KohSichang-3338.jpg) [and a bit of a closeup](http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff422/AleBKK/2011%20Lunar%20Eclipse/KohSichang-3326.jpg). I couldn’t get the exposure right for the bright illuminated part and the shadowed area, the difference in lighting was more than the dynamic range of my camera could take.